West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Sign in to add this photo to your favorites and desktop wallpaper rotation.

The West Coast Trail is a rugged 75-kilometre backpacking route along the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, running between Port Renfrew in the south and Bamfield in the north. It lies within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and is widely regarded as one of the most challenging and rewarding multi-day hikes in North America, typically taking hikers five to seven days to complete. The trail traces a wild stretch of coastline once known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, where storms, fog and treacherous reefs claimed many ships. After the steamship Valencia was wrecked in 1906 with heavy loss of life, a lifesaving trail was built to help rescue shipwrecked sailors, following an older telegraph route. That path later became the recreational trail hikers use today. The land is also the traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations, whose members help manage and guide on the route. Being on the trail means alternating between sandy beaches, surge channels, tidal shelves and dense temperate rainforest of giant cedar and spruce. Hikers climb dozens of wooden ladders, cross suspension bridges and ride hand-operated cable cars over rivers, often in rain and deep mud. Waterfalls spill onto the beaches, and sightings of sea lions, whales, eagles and occasionally bears are part of the experience. The trail is open seasonally, generally from May through September, and requires a permit and careful attention to tide tables.